Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [50mm, f/2, 10s, ISO800]

Comet NEOWISE in Vancouver

We have a surprise celestial visitor right now, comet NEOWISE (named after the observatory that discovered it: Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer). The comet's visit is fleeting, it will be gone by the end of July and not return to earth for 6800 years! If you want to catch a glimpse, find a dark area and look north just over the horizon after sunset. It's faint but visible to the naked eye, and easily viewable with binoculars. Here are a few shots from West Vancouver taken on July 13th.

My first few shots were with my longest telephoto lens, a 500mm. Not that easy to find and frame at this focal length but I did manage to get some shots of the comet with it's long tail (click for larger).

Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [500mm, f/5.6, 2.5s, ISO6400] — Nikon Z7, Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF, 500mm, f/5.6, 2.5s, ISO6400, processed from RAW using Capture One v20

A more expansive view, showing some of the landscape and what could be some aurora. I think I even managed to catch a small meteor in the shot.

Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [50mm, f/1.8, 10s, ISO400] — Nikon Z7, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 S, 50mm, f/1.8, 10s, ISO400, processed from RAW using Capture One v20

The comet with a passing ferry.

Wider still, with the big dipper and most of the little dipper in the frame.

Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [15mm, f/4, 10s, ISO1600] — Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 S, 15mm, f/4, 10s, ISO1600, processed from RAW using Capture One v20

by Mike

Moon Shot - Nikon Z7 and AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR

Moon shot with Nikon Z7 and AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF

Just a quick post showing the great performance of the Nikon Z7 combined with the AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF lens. Significant crop from the full frame, edited in Capture One and Photoshop.

1/500s, ISO 200, f/8, 500mm

by Mike

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens Test : 500mm

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-500mm f/2.8-5.6E ED VR Lens

Ok, so the headline is a joke, but it would be nice to own such a lens :) I recently got the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 lens and was in Squamish looking for Bald Eagles. With me I also had my Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 and Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 lenses. The 14-24 and 200-500 represent the two extremes of the focal lengths I'm able to shoot. I thought it may be fun to do a test to see just how much difference there is between 14mm and 500mm. I threw in a few intermediate focal lengths as well. The scene is in Squamish, BC, Canada beside the BC SPCA and looking northwest to Mount Garibaldi. All photos taken with the Nikon D810.

14mm

24mm (I noticed a slight difference at 24mm between the 14-24 and 24-70, discussed below.)

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Lens Test : 24mm

70mm (Sorry for the typo on the image text, obviously not the 14-24.)

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Lens Test : 70mm

200mm

300mm

400mm

500mm

Now an overlay between 14mm and 500mm, move mouse left/right to see both images.
[before_after border="true" border_width="2" border_color="#FFFFFF" direction="vertical" start=".50" angle="5" slide="hover" return_on_idle_interval="5000" return_on_idle_duration="1000" arrow_color="#FFFFFF" arrow_gap="5" arrow_offset="0" scrollbar_pos="top" scrollbar_color="#FFFFFF" scrollbar_thickness="8" scrollbar_button_color="#FFFFFF" scrollbar_button_thickness="30" before_image_id="5460" after_image_id="5467" arrows="true"]

When does 24mm not mean 24mm?
Finally, when reviewing images taken during the testing I saw a difference between the 24mm images shot with the 14-24mm and 24-70mm. Here are the two images side by side.
[before_after border="true" border_width="2" border_color="#FFFFFF" direction="vertical" start=".50" angle="5" slide="hover" return_on_idle_interval="5000" return_on_idle_duration="1000" arrow_color="#FFFFFF" arrow_gap="5" arrow_offset="0" scrollbar_pos="top" scrollbar_color="#FFFFFF" scrollbar_thickness="8" scrollbar_button_color="#FFFFFF" scrollbar_button_thickness="30" before_image_id="5466" after_image_id="5465" arrows="true"]

I then applied Lightroom's lens correction to both 24mm images, to see if that would close the difference. A greater change was made to the 24-70, but there is still a substantial difference between the two. Here are the two corrected images.

[before_after border="true" border_width="2" border_color="#FFFFFF" direction="vertical" start=".50" angle="5" slide="hover" return_on_idle_interval="5000" return_on_idle_duration="1000" arrow_color="#FFFFFF" arrow_gap="5" arrow_offset="0" scrollbar_pos="top" scrollbar_color="#FFFFFF" scrollbar_thickness="8" scrollbar_button_color="#FFFFFF" scrollbar_button_thickness="30" before_image_id="5468" after_image_id="5469" arrows="true"]

If anyone is curious on how the 200-500mm performed when shooting eagles, I have yet to process most photos but here are a couple initial images.

Brackendale Bald Eagle in Flight : Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6 VR Lens

Brackendale Bald Eagle in Tree : Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6 VR Lens (500mm)

by Mike

Nikon D810 Setup and Configuration

The Nikon D800/D800 Setup and Configuration post I made a few years ago has been one of my most popular. Now that I have the Nikon D810, I decided to create a new list of my settings (and a new setup file for download). If you want more info on why I upgraded to the D810, you can read about that here.

The menu banks are not great because they don't save all of the settings you need to change, but they are better than nothing. The U1/U2 settings of the D750, D610, and D7100 are superior to the menu banks both in terms of features and ease of use. I have no idea why Nikon has decided to leave out such a fantastic function on their high-end cameras. Neither the D800/D810 nor the D4/D4s have the U1/U2 settings. Nice work Nikon.

Here are the four menu banks I created:

Landscape & HDR - sets up the camera for landscape or high dynamic range shooting. I usually use a tripod and have time for manual focus, etc.
Action - I usually use this setting when chasing my young kids, but also for my dogs or any other moving subject.
Portrait - useful not just for portraits but for any stationary or slow moving targets.
Point & Shoot - Since I use the "AF-ON" focusing technique (*1), it makes it difficult for my wife or friend to use my camera. Rather than try to explain the technique, I just change the settings and let them shoot. Since my wife often just wants a couple of quick photos to post online, this is the only bank where I also shoot JPEG.

C: 1.02, L:2.005 : Download Nikon D810 custom settings file 1.02.

C: 1.11, L: 2.013 : Download Nikon D810 custom settings file 1.11.

To use the custom settings file, copy it to the root folder of your media card using your computer, insert the media card into your camera and navigate to SETUP MENU -> Save/load settings -> Load settings. This will copy the settings over to your camera. You may want to save your own settings before you copy mine to your camera in case you need to revert back.

Note the [change this] in the settings below, these are things you will want to change in your own camera before you start shooting. At the bottom of this post, you can also see what I put in "MY MENU" to access some controls I often change on the fly.

To switch between the various menu banks, you have several options:

The slow way:
- Shooting menu bank: go to menu -> shooting menu -> shooting menu bank -> select your bank.
- Custom settings menu: go to custom setting menu -> custom settings bank -> select your bank.
The fast way:
- Press the "i" button on the back of the camera (no idea why Nikon gave us yet another button, sigh). "SHOOT" should be selected, press the center button in the multi-selector, pick your setting. Do the same for custom settings bank ("CUSTOM").

Nikon-D810-Shooting-Menu-Bank-1 : i Button

Nikon-D810-Shooting-Menu-Bank-2 : Select Bank

If you have questions, or a suggestion feel free to leave them in the comments at the bottom of the page. If you want more detail on the settings below download Nikon's D810 manual (free).

	Landscape & HDR	Action	Portrait	Point & Shoot
EXTERNAL CONTROLS
Exposure Mode	A (Aperture Priority)	A (Aperture Priority)	A (Aperture Priority)	P (Program)
Metering Mode	3D Matrix Metering	3D Matrix Metering	Center Weighted Metering	3D Matrix Metering
Bracketing	As needed (usually 3 frames +/-2 EV)	Off	Off	Off
Shooting Mode	Single, Timer, or MUP	CH (continuous high)	CH (continuous high)	CH (continuous high)
Autofocus Mode *1	Manual or AF-C, single point	AF-C, group	AF-C, single point or group	AF-S, Auto

PLAYBACK MENU
Delete	Selected
Playback folder	ND810 (default)
Hide image	Default
Playback display options	Highlights, RGB histogram, Overview
Copy image(s)	N/A
Image review	Off
After delete	Show next
Rotate tall	Off
Slide show	N/A
DPOF print order	N/A

SHOOTING MENU
	Landscape & HDR	Action	Portrait	Point & Shoot
Shooting menu bank	A	B	C	D
Extended menu banks	ON	ON	ON	ON
Storage folder	Default	Default	Default	Default
File Naming	MKH [change this]	MKH [change this]	MKH [change this]	MKH [change this]
Primary slot selection	CF card slot	CF card slot	CF card slot	CF card slot
Secondary slot function	Backup	Backup	Backup	RAW primary - JPEG secondary
Image quality	RAW	RAW	RAW	RAW + JPEG fine
JPEG/TIFF recording
- Image size	N/A	N/A	N/A	Small
- JPEG compression	N/A	N/A	N/A	Optimal quality
NEF (RAW) recording
- Image size	Large	Large	Large	Large
- NEF (RAW) compression	Lossless compressed	Lossless compressed	Lossless compressed	Lossless compressed
- NEF (RAW) bit depth	14-bit	14-bit	14-bit	14-bit
Image area
- Choose image area	FX	1.2x	FX	FX
- Auto DX crop	On	On	On	On
White Balance	Auto1	Auto1	Auto1	Auto1 (change as needed)
Set Picture Control	SD (Standard)	SD (Standard)	PT (Portrait)	SD (Standard)
Manage Picture Control	Default	Default	Default	Default
Color Space	AdobeRGB	AdobeRGB	AdobeRGB	sRGB
Active D-Lighting	Off	Off	Off	H (High)
HDR (high dyn. range)	N/A (disabled when shooting RAW)	N/A (disabled when shooting RAW)	N/A (disabled when shooting RAW)	Off
Vignette control	Normal	Normal	Normal	High
Auto distortion control	On	On	On	On
Long Exposure NR	Off	Off	Off	Off
High ISO NR	Off	Off	Off	Normal
ISO Sensitivity Settings
ISO sensitivity	64	64 (adjust as needed)	64 (adjust as needed)	100 (adjust as needed)
Auto ISO sensitivity control	Off	On (Max ISO: 6400,Min shutter: auto, auto, max fasteraster)	Off	On (Max ISO: 6400,Min shutter: auto, auto, max faster)
Multiple exposure	Off	Off	Off	Off
Interval timer shooting	Off	Off	Off	Off
Time-lapse photography	Off	Off	Off	Off
Movie settings
Frame size/rate	1920x1080; 60fps	1920x1080; 60fps	1920x1080; 60fps	1920x1080; 60fps
Movie quality	High	High	High	High
Microphone sensitivity	Auto sensitivity	Auto sensitivity	Auto sensitivity	Auto sensitivity
Frequency response	Wide	Wide	Wide	Wide
Wind noise reduction	Off	Off	Off	Off
Destination	SD	SD	SD	SD
Movie ISO sensitivity settings
- ISO sensitivity (mode M)	100	100	100	100
- Auto ISO control (mode M)	On	On	On	On
- Maximum sensitivity	6400	6400	6400	6400

CUSTOM SETTING MENU
	Landscape & HDR	Action	Portrait	Point & Shoot
Custom settings bank	A	B	C	D
a1 AF-C priority selection	Release	Release	Release	Focus
a2 AF-S priority selection	Focus	Focus	Focus	Focus
a3 Focus tracking with lock-on	Long	Off	Normal	Off
a4 AF activation	Off (AF-ON focus technique)	Off (AF-ON focus technique)	Off (AF-ON focus technique)	On
a5 Focus point display
- Manual focus mode	Off	Off	Off	Off
- Dynamic-area AF display	On	On	On	On
- Group-area AF illumination	Boxes	Boxes	Boxes	Boxes
a6 AF point illumination	Auto	Auto	Auto	Auto
a7 Focus point wrap-around	On - Wrap	On - Wrap	On - Wrap	On - Wrap
a8 Number of focus points	AF 51 (51 points)	AF11 (11 points)	AF 51 (51 points)	AF11 (11 points)
a9 Store by orientation	Off	Off	Off	Off
a10 Built-in AF-assist illuminator	Off	Off	Off	Off
a11 Limit AF-area mode selection	All checked	All checked	All checked	All checked
a12 Autofocus mode restrictions	Off	Off	Off	Off
b1 ISO sensitivity step value	1/3	1/3	1/3	1/3
b2 EV steps for exposure cntrl	1/3	1/3	1/3	1/3
b3 Exp./flash comp step value	1/3	1/3	1/3	1/3
b4 Easy exposure compensation	Off	Off	Off	Off
b5 Matrix metering	Off	On	On	On
b6 Center-weighted area	12mm	12mm	8mm	12mm
b7 Fine-tune optimal exposure	0 (for all)	0 (for all)	0 (for all)	0 (for all)
c1 Shutter-release AE-L	Off	Off	Off	Off
c2 Standby timer	10s	10s	10s	10s
c3 Self-timer
- Self-timer delay	2s	10s	10s	10s
- Number of shots	2 (N/A if bracket enabled)	1	1	1
- Interval between shots	0.5s	0.5s	0.5s	0.5s
c4 Monitor off delay
- Playback	10s	10s	10s	10s
- Menus	1m	1m	1m	1m
- Information display	10s	10s	10s	10s
- Image review	10s	10s	10s	10s
- Live view	10m	10m	10m	10m
d1 Beep	Off	Off	Off	Off
d2 CL mode shoot speed	2fps	2fps	2fps	2fps
d3 Max continuous release	100	100	100	100
d4 Exposure delay mode	3s	Off	Off	Off
d5 Electronic front-curtain shutter	On	Off	Off	Off
d6 File number sequence	On	On	On	On
d7 Viewfinder grid display	On	On	Off	Off
d8 ISO display adjustment	Off	Off	Off	Off
d9 Screen tips	On	On	On	On
d10 Information display	Auto	Auto	Auto	Auto
d11 LCD illumination	On	On	On	On
d12 MB-D12 battery type	LR6	LR6	LR6	LR6
d13 Battery order	MB-D12	MB-D12	MB-D12	MB-D12
e1 Flash Sync Speed	1/250	1/250	1/250	1/250
e2 Flash shutter speed	1/60	1/60	1/60	1/60
e3 Flash cntrl for built-in flash	TTL	TTL	TTL	TTL
e4 Exposure comp. for flash	Entire frame	Entire frame	Entire frame	Entire frame
e5 Modeling flash	On	On	On	On
e6 Auto bracketing set	AE	AE	AE	AE
e7 Auto bracket (Mode M)	Flash/speed	Flash/speed	Flash/speed	Flash/speed
e8 Bracketing order	Under > MTR > over	Under > MTR > over	Under > MTR > over	Under > MTR > over
f1 switch	LCD Backlight and info display	LCD Backlight and info display	LCD Backlight and info display	LCD Backlight and info display
f2 Multiselect center button
- Shooting mode	Reset	Reset	Reset	Reset
- Playback mode	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)c	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)
- Live view	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)	Zoom, 1:1 (100%)
f3 Multi selector	Off	Off	Off	Off
f4 Assign Fn button
- Fn button press	Viewfinder virtual horizon	Viewfinder virtual horizon	Viewfinder virtual horizon	Viewfinder virtual horizon
- Fn button + command dials	Off	Off	Off	Off
f5 Assign preview button
- Preview button press	Preview	Preview	Preview	Preview
- Preview button + command dials	Off	Off	Off	Off
f6 Assign AE-L/AF-L button
- AE-L/AF-L button press	AE/AF lock	AE/AF lock	AE/AF lock	AE/AF lock
- AE-L/AF-L + command dials	Off	Off	Off	Off
f7 Shutter spd & aperture lock	Off	Off	Off	Off
f8 Assign BKT Button	BKT	BKT	BKT	BKT
f9 Customize command dials	Default (Off, on, off)	Default (Off, on, off)	Default (Off, on, off)	Default (Off, on, off)
f10 Release button to use dial	Off	Off	Off	Off
f11 Slot empty release lock	Lock	Lock	Lock	Lock
f12 Reverse indicators	- 0 +	- 0 +	- 0 +	- 0 +
f13 Assign movie record button	Choose image area	Choose image area	Choose image area	Choose image area
f14 Live view button options	On	On	On	On
f15 Assign MB-D12 AF-ON	AF-ON	AF-ON	AF-ON	AF-ON
f16 Assign remote (WR) Fn button	Off	Off	Off	Off
f17 Lens focus function buttons	AF lock only	AF lock only	AF lock only	AF lock only
g1 Assign Fn button	Power aperture (open)	Power aperture (open)	Power aperture (open)	Power aperture (open)
g2 Assign preview button	Power aperture (close)	Power aperture (close)	Power aperture (close)	Power aperture (close)
g3 Assign AE-L/AF-L	AE Lock	AE Lock	AE Lock	AE Lock
g4 Assign shutter button	Record movies	Record movies	Record movies	Record movies

SETUP MENU
Format memory card	As needed
Monitor brightness	Manual (0)
Monitor color balance	Default
Clean image sensor	Clean at shutdown (no sense delaying startup)
Lock mirror up cleaning	As needed
Image Dust Off ref photo	As needed
Flicker reduction	Auto
Time zone and date	Set to local time
Language	English
Auto image rotation	On
Battery info	N/A
Image comment *2	None
Copyright Information	On [change this]
Save/load settings	As needed
Virtual horizon	N/A
Non-CPU lens data	N/A
AF fine tune	Set for your lenses if needed
HDMI	N/A
Location data	N/A
Firmware version	N/A

RETOUCH MENU
Never use it

MY MENU
c3 Self-timer
d4 Exposure delay mode
d5 Electronic front-curtain shutter
Time zone and date
Long exposure NR
High ISO NR
Active D-Lighting

Footnotes

*1 - Autofocus : I use the "AF-ON" technique (for lack of a better term) to focus my camera. You can read more about the technique here. You will see that in my settings, I primarily use AF-C as the default focus mode when I use the camera. With the AF-ON technique, you decouple the focusing of the camera from the shutter press. The nice thing is that you can have both continuous and static autofocus at the same time. Focus and recompose is also easier as you don't have to keep the shutter half-pressed, just release the AF-ON button and the camera stops focusing. It works very well, but takes a bit of getting used to. This technique works on both Nikon and Canon cameras (likely other brands as well but I haven't checked into it).

*2 - Image comment : There are two spots to put your personal info into the file EXIF data: "Image comment" and "Copyright information". Some people use both, but there isn't really a reason to do so. I have found one reason not to use the 'image comment' field, and that is because the comment shows up in the description field when you post images online (facebook for example). At times, I post images to facebook and I don't want the description for each one to say "copyright Mike Heller Photography", blah, blah, blah. My friends want to see something about the image, not a copyright notice. For me, it just makes the upload process more time consuming and it doesn't add any value. You may want to use it, so feel free to use the field if that fits into your workflow.

by Mike

Why I upgraded my Nikon D800 to a D810

Why I Upgraded

In this section I list the main reasons I upgraded my Nikon D800 to a Nikon D810. There wasn't anything wrong with the D800, it was an amazing camera capable of fantastic results. There were a few things that made the difference though. In general, Nikon took an already great camera and made it better.

No anti-alias filter. Also known as Optical Low Pass Filter, Blur Filter, and probably a few other names. When the D800 and D800E were released, it created a lot of speculation about the potential moire and false color problems that the D800E would face. I had actually planned to get a D800E but my local shop had the D800 first and said I'm facing a 4+ month wait for an E model. I decided to get the D800 and start shooting. In the end, the fears around no AA filter in the D800E were unfounded, the vast majority of shooters have never had a problem. Given the lack of issues, Nikon didn't even bother with a filtered version of the D810. In fact, it improved on the D800E even further. Where the D800E had an AA filter that cancelled itself out, the D810 has no AA filter at all in the stack. The sharpness benefits are not drastic, but there are there and I'm happy to have the best possible starting image.
Frame rate. 5fps in full frame mode (36 megapixels) with full AF and metering. Drop it down to 1.2X crop and you get 6fps and 24 megapixels. Plenty of resolution, plenty of speed, and no battery grip needed. I really don't need more than 6fps, when I shoot bursts it's often chasing my kids so the 1.2x crop suits me just fine. The rest of the time I'm shooting landscapes or architecture. The D810 feels like both an action cam and a landscape cam in one body. Perfect.
Improved autofocus. I had plenty of problems with my D800 autofocus. It was plagued with the 'left focus problem' and went to Nikon three times before it finally came back fixed. The D810 seems to work great out of the box and now has group AF mode and better face detection.
Improved bracketing. The D800 was limited to +/- 1 EV between exposures, the D810 extends that to +/- 3 EV (it can also do 1 and 2 EV). To get a standard -2/0/+2 exposure for HDR I had to take 5 shots with the D800 and then throw away two of them. With the D810, I can take the 3 I need and call it a day. More flexibility, more options, and solved something that always bugged me about the D800. Worse still that this would have been a simple firmware fix for Nikon.
Electronic front curtain shutter. The D800 had mirror up (MUP) and exposure delay modes to reduce the vibration effects of the mirror. The D810 takes it a step further by also eliminating the vibration effects of the shutter. Well done Nikon.
ISO 64. Base ISO is now 64 (instead of 100 in the D800). Gives me options for long exposures and bright light with fast lenses.
ISO 12,800. I'm unlikely to shoot at the upper end of the ISO range often, but noise performance has been improved at 3200 and 6400 as well, which is a bonus.
Live View improved. Nikon made great improvements in Live View over the D800. Not only is the LCD a higher resolution screen, but the nasty artifacts that plagued the D800 are now gone. I use LV frequently, especially at 100% zoom, for critical focus work so the D810 is a joy to use.
Hand grip improved. I have large hands, and the D800 never felt that comfortable in my hands. The D810 brings some much welcome changes here, the grip is noticeably improved and the camera feels much more secure in my hand.

Nice To Have Extras

Here are some of the added benefits of the D810 that didn't have a big impact on my decision but I'm happy to have them.

Highlight weighted metering. An extra metering mode useful in some tricky situations.
Metering and bracketing selection improved. I'm usually not a fan of buttons getting moved around, but the new layout is actually easier to use. The ring around the AF-ON wasn't the easiest way to select the metering mode, the button/wheel method is better.
Quiet mirror/shutter. Not Q (quiet) mode, but the operation of the mirror and shutter are much softer and better dampened than in the D800. This likely improves sharpness but also makes the camera more pleasant to use.
Split screen live view. Limited usefulness, but I have used it a couple of times when leveling a horizon. I think it would be more useful with tilt-shift lenses (which I don't have), to ensure critical focus in multiple areas of the image.
Improved battery life. 1200 shots in the D810, only 900 in the D800. Battery life was never a big problem for me, but I'll take more.
Double the buffer size. With the improved frame rates, this is an added bonus. I don't often hit the limit with the D810.
Timer function improved. Just set up the number of bracketed shots you want to take, switch the camera into timer mode, and hit the shutter release once. The D810 will take the full bracket sequence for you. Easy.

Added To D810, But I Don't Care

Here are a few things added to the D810 that are of no use to me. I'm not saying they are useless, some of you may put them in your own "this is why I upgraded" list. For me, they are things I'm unlikely to use or gain any benefit from.

Zebras in movie mode. Shows you highlight clipping. I almost never shoot movies with my DSLR so don't care if it shows dancing hippos.
Two info buttons. "i" and "info", why Nikon? You had one button that you could click twice. Now I have two buttons, and I usually press the wrong one.
Flat picture control, clarity adjustment. This only makes a difference for jpeg shooting, but I shoot 98% of my shots in RAW (NEF). Which leads me to...
sRAW. Not real RAW, I don't care.
1080p 60p (full HD). Again, I don't shoot video. Even if it shot 8K... yawn.
There are a few more, but I have forgotten about them already.

What Didn't Make It Into The D810 But Should Have

Nikon had the opportunity to fix some things in the D810 but chose not to. Here are a few things which I would have liked to see (some could even be implemented with a firmware upgrade I suspect).

EFC in timer mode. Why only in MUP? Give me a firmware fix for this please. I want a 2-second timer, 3 second exposure delay, and EFC.
User preset modes (U1/U2). The memory banks suck, I use them but I would much prefer the preset modes present on other cameras in Nikon's lineup.
WiFi. It's 2015 Nikon, get in the game. Give me wifi and the ability to use my iPhone as a remote trigger. Even better, give me an app for the Apple Watch!
Exposures longer than 30 seconds. Why is this still a limitation? I need my remote trigger with me at all times, and it would need it at all if I could set my exposure to any value. Another firmware fix please. UPDATE (June 1, 2015): The Nikon D810A camera (targeted at astrophotography) has a new M* mode (Long Exposure Manual Mode) that allows you to set the exposure time between 4 and 900 seconds. Would be great if Nikon made this available via firmware on the D810.

by Mike

What is Nikon Thinking? D300S, D7100, D610, D700, D750, Df, D810, D4s Compared

With the release of the D750, I'm starting to wonder what Nikon is thinking with their lineup. Shooters I know are waiting for a true replacement for both the D300s and the D700. Arguments can be made that the D7100 replaces the D300s, and the D750 replaces the D700. However, an equal number (and maybe more) arguments can be made that no replacements exist. In this post, I'll quickly cover some of the specs that differentiate the cameras that are current in the lineup. Nikon has a lot of bodies on their site but I wouldn't consider many of them current (D90, really?). Here, I'll just look at the D300s, D7100, D610, D700, D750, Df, D810 and the D4s. The other bodies (D7000, D4, etc. that Nikon still lists are all very similar to at least one model discussed below).

Spec	D300s	D7100	D610	D700	D750	Df	D810	D4s
Release Date	2009	2013	2014	2008	2014	2013	2014	2014
Price	$1500	$1200	$2000	$2500	$2300	$2750	$3300	$6500
Sensor Resolution (MP)	12	24	24	12	24	16	36	16
Nikon DSLR Lineup: Price vs Megapixels
(Click for larger)

I'm not listing the spec of the lower end cams in the table, but they are shown on the graph above. In general the price curve makes sense, even if the D3300 is a kit price (with lens) and the rest are body-only. Higher spec bodies are higher in price. The D4s takes a huge jump in price, but it is as the top of the lineup and does offer great performance. The majority of the Nikon lineup now uses as 24 megapixel sensor, which is plenty of resolution for almost any application. It must be a sweet spot for price and performance. Now I realize that megapixels are not the only measure of performance but they do play a role, many consumers still stick to 'more is better'. The current cameras present a marketing challenge for Nikon, and so far they have not done a good job of telling us why you would buy one model over another. The D300s is sitting with just 12 megapixels (APS-C), for less money you get a much more capable camera in a D7100 but you give up build quality and familiar ergonomics. The D700 is also sitting at 12 megapixels (full frame), and Nikon has options that are more capable but unfortunately not in the same body. The D750 has a better sensor (six years of evolution is an eternity in the tech world), but in a lesser body. The D810 has a better sensor (best on the market in any DSLR), but with a much lower frame rate. There is no clear upgrade path. The Df is an oddball too, having only 16 megapixels, no flash, no video, and a mix of modern and classic controls. Let's look at a few more stats.

Spec	D300s	D7100	D610	D700	D750	Df	D810	D4s
ISO Range	200 - 3200	100 - 6400	100 - 6400	200 - 6400	100 - 12800	100 - 12800	64 - 12800	100 - 25600
AF Points	51	51	39	51	51	39	51	51
Max Shutter	1/8000	1/8000	1/4000	1/8000	1/4000	1/4000	1/8000	1/8000
Frame Rate	7/8	6	6	5/8	6	5.5	5	11


Nikon DSLR Lineup: Price vs Frame Rate (Click for larger)
One thing that strikes me is that the D300s is a camera that was released in 2009 and Nikon has nothing since (outside of the very expensive pro bodies) that has bettered the frame rate. If we look at the D700 it's even more apparent (8fps with grip). Both the D300s and D700 feature pro build and ergonomics, fast frame rates, great autofoucs and other related 'pro' features (flash sync speed, max shutter, etc.). The D7100 comes close to replacing the D300s, but you need to accept a different style body with different ergonomics. Same for the D610 or D750 replacing the D700, they don't truly do so. To me, the Df is a waste of time. Sure, it's good in low light but that is because it has a great sensor. The rest of it is there just to get the old guys to buy it for nostalgia. It is crippled with a poor AF module (relative to price), no video (that isn't a 'feature'), and more. Anyone who was going to buy one did so already, ditch it. The D750 should have been a pro body (controls same as a D810), with 16 or 24 megapixels. In fact, this is what I think Nikon should have done, if you don't agree let me know :)

	DX		FX
Spec	D7100	D400	D610	D750	D810	D4s
Body	Consumer	Pro	Consumer	Pro	Pro	Pro
Price	$1200	$1800	$2000	$2500	$3300	$6500
Sensor Resolution (MP)	24	24	16	24	36	16
ISO Range	100 - 6400	100 - 6400	100 - 6400	100 - 12800	64 - 12800	100 - 25600
AF Points	51	51	39	51	51	51
Max Shutter	1/8000	1/8000	1/4000	1/8000	1/8000	1/8000
Frame Rate	6	8	6	8	5	11

To me, it's a more clear lineup. Two capable DX cameras, one in a consumer body and one in a pro body. The pro body will have a faster frame rate, a tougher build, and the same ergonomics as the pro FX bodies. The FX bodies also seem to have a clear distinction between them. Entry level D610 is a consumer type body, with a less capable AF system and slower max shutter (other features may also be worth discussing). The D750 should have been a true successor to the D700, same frame rate and build quality but with double the pixels. The D810 is the high resolution beast and the D4s the speed demon for those that need it. Each one has a clear place in the lineup and people may buy more than one.

by Mike

Nikon D800 and D800E Setup and Configuration

I now have a page with the setup and configuration for the Nikon D810.

A while back, Out There Images posted a list of recommended settings for the Nikon D800. I used that as a starting point to create four custom menu banks for my most common shooting situations. The menu banks are not great because they don't save all of the settings you need to change, but they are better than nothing. The U1/U2 settings of the D7000 and D600 are superior to the menu banks both in terms of features and ease of use. I have no idea why Nikon has decided to leave out such a fantastic function on their high-end cameras. Neither the D800 nor the D4 have the U1/U2 settings. Nice work Nikon.

Here are the four menu banks I created:

HDR - sets up the camera for high dynamic range shooting. I usually use a tripod, have time for manual focus, etc. If the shutter speed is fairly slow, I also turn on "Exposure delay mode" (custom setting d4).
Action - I often use this when photographing dogs at the local animal shelter.
Portrait - useful not just for portraits but for any stationary or slow moving target.
Point & Shoot - Since I use the "AF-ON" focusing technique (*1), it makes it difficult to hand my camera to a stranger if I want to be in the photo. Rather than try to explain the technique, I just change the settings and let them shoot. I also use this mode when I give the camera to my wife, sometimes she just wants to take a few simple shots so this mode shoots in jpeg with things configured to make shooting easier.

The settings for all four modes are outlined below. Note that the settings just make the starting point for configuration easier. It doesn't mean these are always the settings I use when shooting. I may not use ISO100 for all situations nor the same AF settings. If you want to use them as a starting point for your own custom settings it is easiest to just download my config file here: Nikon D800 custom settings file. You should also grab the custom picture control explained in footnote 3. To use the custom settings file, copy it to your media card, insert the media card into your camera and navigate to SETUP MENU -> Save/load settings -> Load settings. This will copy the settings over to your camera. You may want to save your own settings before you copy mine to your camera in case you need to revert back.

Note the [change this] in the settings below, these are things you will want to change in your own camera before you start shooting. At the bottom, you can also see what I put in "MY MENU" to access some controls I often change on the fly.

To switch between the various menu banks, you have several options:

The slow way. Go to menu -> shooting menu -> shooting menu bank -> select your bank. Then go to custom setting menu -> custom settings bank -> select your bank.
I have 'shooting menu bank' and 'custom settings bank' as the top two items of 'my menu'. This allows me to change the settings relatively quickly but also provides a visual reminder of what banks I'm using when I go into this menu.
The fastest way is to simply press the "info" button twice, that should select your shooting bank. Press the center button in the multi-selector, pick your setting. Do the same for custom settings bank.

Nikon D800 Shooting Menu Bank Selection - Info Screen

Nikon D800 Shooting Menu Bank Selection

If you have questions, or a suggestion feel free to leave them in the comments at the bottom of the page. If you want more detail on the settings below download Nikon's D800/D800E manual (free), for something even better I recommend Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the D800/D800E ($30). Thom not only covers the options but gives you a recommendation on what to use for each setting.

	HDR	Action	Portrait	Point & Shoot
EXTERNAL CONTROLS
Exposure Mode	A (Aperture Priority)	A (Aperture Priority)	A (Aperture Priority)	P (Program)
Metering Mode	3D Matrix Metering	3D Matrix Metering	3D Matrix Metering	3D Matrix Metering
Bracketing	5F, +/-1 EV (use 7 or 9F if needed)	Off	Off	Off
Shooting Mode	Timer	CH (continuous high)	CH (continuous high)	CH (continuous high)
WB	Auto	Auto	Auto	Auto
ISO	100	Auto	100	Auto
QUAL	RAW	RAW	RAW	JPEG FINE
Autofocus Mode *1	Manual or AF-C, single point	AF-C, 3D	AF-C, single point	AF-S, Auto

SETUP MENU
Format memory card	As needed	As needed	As needed	As needed
Monitor brightness	Manual (0)	Manual (0)	Manual (0)	Manual (0)
Clean image sensor	Clean at shutdown	Clean at shutdown	Clean at shutdown	Clean at shutdown
Lock mirror up cleaning	As needed	As needed	As needed	As needed
Image Dust Off ref photo	As needed	As needed	As needed	As needed
HDMI	Default	Default	Default	Default
Flicker reduction	Auto	Auto	Auto	Auto
Time zone and date	Set to local time	Set to local time	Set to local time	Set to local time
Language	English	English	English	English
Auto image rotation	On	On	On	On
Battery info	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Wireless Transmitter	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Image comment *2	None	None	None	None
Copyright Information	On [change this]	On [change this]	On [change this]	On [change this]
Save/load settings	As needed	As needed	As needed	As needed
GPS	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Virtual horizon	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Non-CPU lens data	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
AF fine tune	Set for your lenses if needed	Set for your lenses if needed	Set for your lenses if needed	Set for your lenses if needed
Firmware version	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

SHOOTING MENU
Shooting menu bank	A	B	C	D
Extended menu banks	ON	ON	ON	ON
Storage folder	Default	Default	Default	Default
File Naming	MKH [change this]	MKH [change this]	MKH [change this]	MKH [change this]
Primary slot selection	CF card slot	CF card slot	CF card slot	CF card slot
Secondary slot function	Backup	Backup	Backup	Backup
Image quality	RAW	RAW	RAW	JPEG FINE
Image Size	N/A	N/A	N/A	Large
Image area
- Auto DX crop	On	On	On	On
- Choose Image area	FX	FX	FX	FX
JPEG Compression	Opitmal Quality	Opitmal Quality	Opitmal Quality	Opitmal Quality
NEF (RAW) recording
- Type	Lossless compressed	Lossless compressed	Lossless compressed	Lossless compressed
- NEF bit depth	14-bit	14-bit	14-bit	14-bit
White Balance	Auto1	Auto1	Auto1	Auto1
Set Picture Control *3	Custom (Live View Max Sharp)	SD (Standard)	PT (Portrait)	VI (Vivid)
Manage Picture Control	Default	Default	Default	Default
Color Space	AdobeRGB	AdobeRGB	AdobeRGB	sRGB
Active D-Lighting	Off	Off	Off	Off
HDR (high dyn. range)	N/A (disalbed when shooting RAW)	N/A (disalbed when shooting RAW)	N/A (disalbed when shooting RAW)	Off
Vignette control	Normal	Normal	Normal	High
Auto distortion control	On	On	On	On
Long Exp. NR	Off	Off	Off	Off
High ISO NR	Low	Low	Low	Normal
ISO Sensitivity Settings
ISO sensitivity	100	100	100	100
Auto ISO sensitivity control	Off	On (Max ISO: 6400, Min shutter: auto,faster)	Off	On (Max ISO: 6400, Min shutter: auto,faster)
Multiple exposure	Off	Off	Off	Off
Interval timer shooting	Off	Off	Off	Off
Time-lapse photography	Off	Off	Off	Off
Movie settings
Frame size/rate	1920x1080; 30fps	1920x1080; 30fps	1920x1080; 30fps	1920x1080; 30fps
Movie quality	High	High	High	High
Microphone	Auto sensitivity	Auto sensitivity	Auto sensitivity	Auto sensitivity
Destination	SD	SD	SD	SD

CUSTOM SETTING MENU
Sustom settings bank	A	B	C	D
a1 AF-C priority select	Release	Release	Release	Release
a2 AF-S priority select	Focus	Focus	Focus	Focus
a3 Focus track lock-on	Off	Long	Short	Normal
a4 AF Activation	Off (AF-ON focus technique)	Off (AF-ON focus technique)	Off (AF-ON focus technique)	On
a5 AF point illumination	On	On	On	On
a6 Focus point wrap	Off	Off	Off	Off
a7 Number of focus points	51	51	51	51
a8 Built-in AF assist illum	Off	Off	Off	Off
b1 ISO sensitivity step val.	1/3	1/3	1/3	1/3
b2 EV steps for exposure	1/3	1/3	1/3	1/3
b3 Exp./flash comp step	1/3	1/3	1/3	1/3
b4 Easy exposure comp.	Off	Off	Off	Off
b5 Center-weighted area	12mm	12mm	12mm	12mm
b6 Fine tune optimal exp.	0 (for all)	0 (for all)	0 (for all)	0 (for all)
c1 Shutter-release AE-L	Off	Off	Off	Off
c2 Auto meter-off delay	10s	10s	10s	10s
c3 Self-timer
- Self-timer delay	2s	10s	10s	10s
- Number of shots	5 (should match # bracket exposures)	1	1	1
- Interval between shots	0.5s	0.5s	0.5s	0.5s
c4 Monitor off delay
- Playback	10s	10s	10s	10s
- Menus	1m	1m	1m	1m
- Information display	10s	10s	10s	10s
- Image review	10s	10s	10s	10s
- Live view	10m	10m	10m	10m
d1 Beep	Off	Off	Off	Off
d2 CL mode shoot speed	2fps	2fps	2fps	2fps
d3 Max continuous release	100	100	100	100
d4 Exposure delay mode	Off (on if exposures slow)	Off (on if exposures slow)	Off (on if exposures slow)	Off (on if exposures slow)
d5 File number sequence	On	On	On	On
d6 Viewfinder grid display	On	On	On	On
d7 ISO display adjustment	Off	Off	Off	Off
d8 Screen tips	On	On	On	On
d9 Information display	Auto	Auto	Auto	Auto
d10 LCD illumination	On	On	On	On
d11 MB-D12 battery type	LR6	LR6	LR6	LR6
d12 Battery order	MB-D12	MB-D12	MB-D12	MB-D12
e1 Flash Sync Speed	1/250	1/250	1/250	1/250
e2 Flash shutter speed	1/60	1/60	1/60	1/60
e3 Flash cntrl built-in	TTL	TTL	TTL	TTL
e4 Modeling flash	On	On	On	On
e5 Auto bracketing set	AE	AE	AE	AE
e6 Auto bracket (Mode M)	Flash/speed	Flash/speed	Flash/speed	Flash/speed
e7 Bracketing order	Under > MTR > over	Under > MTR > over	Under > MTR > over	Under > MTR > over
f1 switch	LCD Backlight and info display	LCD Backlight and info display	LCD Backlight and info display	LCD Backlight and info display
f2 Multiselect center button
- Shooting mode	Reset	Reset	Reset	Reset
- Playback mode	Zoom, medium magnification	Zoom, medium magnification	Zoom, medium magnification	Zoom, medium magnification
- Live view	Zoom, medium magnification	Zoom, medium magnification	Zoom, medium magnification	Zoom, medium magnification
f3 Multi selector	Off	Off	Off	Off
f4 Assign Fn button
- Fn button press	Viewfinder virtual horizon	Viewfinder virtual horizon	Viewfinder virtual horizon	Viewfinder virtual horizon
- Fn button + command dials	Off	Off	Off	Off
f5 Assign preview button
- Preview button press	Preview	Preview	Preview	Preview
- Preview button + command dials	Off	Off	Off	Off
f6 Assign AE-L/AF-L button
- AE-L/AF-L button press	AE/AF lock	AE/AF lock	AE/AF lock	AE/AF lock
- AE-L/AF-L + command dials	Off	Off	Off	Off
f7 Shutter spd & ap lock	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
f8 Assign BKT Button	BKT	BKT	BKT	BKT
f9 Cust. command dials	Default (Off, on, off)	Default (Off, on, off)	Default (Off, on, off)	Default (Off, on, off)
f10 Release button to use dial	Off	Off	Off	Off
f11 Slot emply release lock	Lock	Lock	Lock	Lock
f12 Reverse indicators	- 0 +	- 0 +	- 0 +	- 0 +
f13 Assign MB-D12 AF-ON	AF-ON	AF-ON	AF-ON	AF-ON
g1 Assign Fn button	Power aperture (open)	Power aperture (open)	Power aperture (open)	Power aperture (open)
g2 Assign preview button	Power aperture (close)	Power aperture (close)	Power aperture (close)	Power aperture (close)
g3 Assign AE-L/AF-L	AE Lock	AE Lock	AE Lock	AE Lock
g4 Assign shutter button	Take photos	Take photos	Take photos	Take photos

PLAYBACK MENU
Delete	Selected	Selected	Selected	Selected
Playback folder	ND800 (default)	ND800 (default)	ND800 (default)	ND800 (default)
Hide image	Default	Default	Default	Default
Playback display options	Highlights, RGB histogram, Overview	Highlights, RGB histogram, Overview	Highlights, RGB histogram, Overview	Highlights, RGB histogram, Overview
Copy image(s)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Image review	Off	Off	Off	Off
After delete	Show next	Show next	Show next	Show next
Rotate tall	Off	Off	Off	Off
Slide show	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
DPOF print order	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

MY MENU
Shooting menu Bank
Custom settings bank
c3 Self-timer
d4 Exposure delay mode
ISO sensitivity settings
Long exposure NR
Active D-Lighting

Footnotes

*1 - Autofocus : I have started using the "AF-ON" technique (for lack of a better term) to focus my camera. You can read more about the technique here. You will see that in my settings, I primarily use AF-C as the default focus mode when I use the camera. With the AF-ON technique, you decouple the focusing of the camera from the shutter press. The nice thing is that you can have both continuous and static autofocus at the same time. Focus and recompose is also easier as you don't have to keep the shutter half-pressed, just release the AF-ON button and the camera stops focusing. It works very well, but takes a bit of getting used to. This technique works on both Nikon and Canon cameras (likely other brands as well but I haven't checked into it).

*2 - Image comment : There are two spots to put your personal info into the file EXIF data: "Image comment" and "Copyright information". Some people use both, but there isn't really a reason to do so. I have found one reason not to use the 'image comment' field, and that is because the comment shows up in the description field when you post images online (facebook for example). At times, I post images to facebook and I don't want the description for each one to say "copyright 2013...", blah, blah, blah. My friends want to see something about the image, not a copyright notice. For me, it just makes the upload process more time consuming and it doesn't add any value. You may like it, so feel free to use the field if that fits into your workflow.

*3 - Set Picture Control : The live view of the Nikon D800 isn't great, but I still use it at times to get sharp focus. I zoom in the live view display and manually focus the lens to the best setting. If you change the picture control to the highest sharpening level you actually get a better display. Since I almost always shoot in raw, this has no effect on the final image. You can edit your existing picture control but it's best to create a new, custom, one. To make this easier, you can download a custom picture control I created called Live View Max Sharp. Unzip the file, you should see a "Nikon" folder, copy that to the top level (root) of your flash card and put the card into your camera. In the menu, go to SHOOTING MENU (camera icon)-> Manage picture control -> Load/save -> Copy to camera => Live View Max Sharp, click "OK". Select one of the custom picture control spaces to use (C1..C9) and you are done. Now you still have all of your default picture controls plus the new one to pick from.

by Mike

Best of 2012

I took a look at my Google Analytics and thought I would show what my three most popular posts of 2012 have been. Not surprising that they are all photo gear related.

Nikon D7000 vs D600 vs D800 : A Quick Comparison - Three cameras that photo enthusiasts are buying. Different price ranges, and performance but all fantastic cameras.
Nikon D600 Vs Canon 6D - Entry Level Full Frame Scrap - Nikon and Canon both released entry level full frame cameras. Both will sell well, and nice to see that full frame is now becoming more affordable.
Nikon D800 Contrast and Phase Detect Autofocus Testing - My early release D800 had the left side autofocus problems. I posted my test methodology and results, sent my camera to Nikon, but the saga is not yet over.

My most popular photo related post was Hiking the Binkert Trail To The Lions which covers a popular hike in Vancouver, BC. Thanks to everyone for visiting, and happy holidays.

Some of my favorite photos of 2012

by Mike

Nikon D600 Full Frame Camera : Left Side

Nikon D600 Vs Canon 6D - Entry Level Full Frame Scrap

Photographers should be happy, both Nikon and Canon have released 'affordable' full frame cameras into their lineup. Nikon is already shipping theirs while Canon simply announced a camera with availability in a few months. Nothing like a 'me too' announcement when the competition gets the jump on you. Nikon is first to market with the D600, a $2100 USD, 24 megapixel camera. Canon follows up with the 6D, a $2100, 20 megapixel camera.

This year, there seems to be a shift towards Nikon in terms of technical camera performance. Before the latest models were released, Canon had a highly successful offering in the 5D Mark II, a 21 megapixel full frame camera with high quality video capability for $2700 (at launch). Nikon could not compete on video spec, or resolution with the D700 and D3S having only 12 megapixels. The insanely priced D3X had 24 megapixels but at $8000 it did not compete well with Canon's offering.

Fast forward to 2012 and Nikon has a 36 megapixel D800 ($3000), a 24 megapixel D600 ($2100), and a 16 megapixel D4 ($6000). Canon in turn released the 5D Mark III adding only 1 megapixel for a total of 22 and is now charging $3500 for the body. It follows that with a 20 megapixel 6D for $2100 and an 18 megapixel 1D X for $6800. Megapixels are not everything, but looking at the full frame landscape today it's obvious that Nikon didn't like taking a back seat and has come back with a vengence.

All those megapixels don't mean much if they don't perform well. Not only did Nikon ratchet up the resolution they also developed some high quality sensors as well. Looking at the DxO Mark scores you can see that Nikon is at the top of the pile in DSLR performance these days.

Looking at the scores, it's a thorough trashing of Canon. The Nikon cameras have a history of good dynamic range, but the new sensors really take it up a notch. Even the entry level D600 beats Canon's 5DIII. Unfortunately, the 6D scores are not available yet but I'm sure they will be lower than those of the 5DIII. Canon has some catching up to do in the next refresh of the lineup though I doubt Nikon will rest on their laurels.

With the sensor discussion out of the way (mostly), we can see how other features of the two entry level cameras stack up. Comparing the physical cameras first.

Left side view

Rear view

Front view

Top view

Nikon seems to put more buttons on their cameras, especially on the front. I can't comment much on the handling of the Canon cameras as I haven't spent much time with them so I'll reserve judgement on ergonomics and accessibility of features only to say that Nikon is clearly better ;)

Now looking at the basic specs.

Spec	Nikon D600	Canon 6D
Sensor Resolution (MP)	24.3 megapixels	20.2 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	6,016 x 4,016	5,472 x 3,648
Viewfinder	Pentaprism	Pentaprism
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	97%
Built-in Flash	Yes (with wireless control)	No
Storage Media	Dual SD card	Single SD card
Frame rate	5.5 fps	4.5 fps
Max Shutter Speed	1/4000 to 30 sec	1/4000 to 30 sec
Shutter Durability	150,000	100,000
Native ISO	100-6,400	100-25,600
Boosted ISO	50-25,600	50-102,400
Autofocus	39-point AF with 9 cross type	11-point AF with 1 cross-type
Autofocus Detection	f/8	f/5.6
GPS	Via adapter	Built-in
Wifi	Via Eye-Fi	Built-in

Nikon is clearly ahead in almost all of the performance specs. It has higher resolution, faster frame rates, better autofocus, and dual storage cards. Canon has better ISO numbers but I suspect the D600 will be clearly superior in low light performance compared to the 6D. Makes no difference if the 6D goes to 100K ISO, those photos are not usable. The DxO Mark scores already show that the D600 is better than the much more expensive 5D Mark III so it's unlikely the 6D will fare any better. Canon throws in some gizmos like GPS and Wifi to try and distract you from the obvious performance gap.

It's unlikely anyone would jump ship form one brand to another as an investment in lenses usually means the cost to switch is significantly higher than simply the cost of the body. I'm sure the 6D will be a capable camera however if you are new to the DSLR world and considering these two models the Nikon D600 is a technically better camera.

Also see: Nikon D7000 vs D600 vs D800.

by Mike

Nikon D7000, D600, D800 Visual Comparison : Front and Rear View

Nikon D7000 vs D600 vs D800 : A Quick Comparison

Nikon just announced their new entry level full frame DSLR camera, the D600. It wasn't a very well kept secret as leaks started getting out months ago. There was speculation that this would be a sub-$2000 USD camera but in the end the retail price at launch is $2100. Still a good price considering the sensor and other options. It looks like a blend between a D7000 and D800 both in terms of spec and appearance. Below you can see some of the similarities and differences between the three bodies.

The Nikon D600 with Nikkor 200mm f/2 lens.

I'm not gong to rehash the full specification of any camera. Nikon and many other reviews provide that info already. If you want to check into the details, here are the spec sheets for the three cameras: D7000, D600, D800.

What I do want to cover is how the cameras are similar and how they are different. Just taking a look at the camera, it looks like Nikon took a D7000 body and shoehorned a full frame sensor inside. Some modifications to the body were necessary, but for the most part the cameras are very similar in terms of layout.

Nikon D600 Front View

Nikon D600 Right Side View

Nikon D600 Left Side View

Nikon D600 Rear View

Nikon D600 Top View

Finally, a comparison between the D7000, D600, and D800

If you look at the three bodies, you can see that the D600 has some controls more like a D7000 and others more like a D800. Not a bad thing for a model that fits in between the two in the lineup. Users on either end of the spectrum should be comfortable with the controls, though I think it's more like a D7000 and targeted at the consumer/hobby segment of the market.

Nikon D700 users who were hoping for a clear upgrade path didn't get one. Nikon provided a clear upgrade for the D3S in the D4, but the D700 was essentially split into two cameras. The D800 a higher resolution but slower camera (which also replaced the D3X) and a D600 which is a smaller and less feature rich body. For professionals, the upgrade path is likely the D800 due to it's ergonomics, autofocus speed, full magnesium body, compact flash storage, flash sync, max shutter speed, and shutter durability. For hobby shooters, serious amateurs, and pros who need a back up body the D600 may be the better choice. It still provides great image quality in a smaller and lighter package. Regardless, the D600 at $2100 US is destined to sell very well.

In terms of pricing, Nikon has a very linear price curve at the lower end of the lineup. It's clear that they want to hit every market segment and ensure they capture every type of buyer. Having said that, the D300S seems to be the most in need of an update and without it in the lineup there would be a significant gap between the D7000 and the D600. To me, this means that a D400 will be announced in the not too distant future. It will likely carry on the tradition of a high end, high-speed crop sensor (DX) body with pro level ergonomics.

Differences between the cameras button layouts are obvious, no big surprises for anyone used to shooting a Nikon body. There are also some significant differences inside the shells as well.

Spec	D7000	D600	D800
Sensor Resolution (MP)	16.2 megapixels	24.3 megapixels	36.3megapixels
Sensor Size	APS-C (DX)	Full frame (FX)	Full frame (FX)
Max Resolution (pixels)	4928 x 3264	6016 x 4016	7360 x 4912
DX Resolution (MP)	16.2 megapixels	10.3 megapixels	15.3 megapixels
DX Resolution (pixels)	4928 x 3264	3,936 x 2,624	4,800 x 3,200
Sensor Pixel Size	4.78µ	5.9µ	4.8µ

The D800 is clearly the resolution leader, not just for Nikon but all DSLR cameras as of September 2012 (and likely for some time to come). The D800 also holds it's own quite well even when shot in DX mode. If you need the extra reach or still have DX lenses you get file sizes almost exactly the same as a D7000 but with the benefit of the better sensor and processing. However, no one should buy the D800 and shoot it in DX mode, use it just until you transition your lenses to FX or the odd time you don't need the full 36mp. If you plan to shoot DX all the time, save yourself $2000 and buy a D7000. The D600 has the biggest pixels, and likely the best pixel level noise traits but that is not relevant because what matters is noise level in the final image (on screen or in print). Downsampling a 36mp D800 file to the same resolution has noise benefits. I'm sure there will be a lot of comparisons between these two cameras very soon.

Spec	D7000	D600	D800
Frame Rate	6 fps	5.5 fps	4 fps (FX), 6 fps (DX with grip)
U1 & U2 Modes?	YES	YES	NO :(
Sync Speed	1/250	1/200	1/250
Max Shutter	1/8000	1/4000	1/8000
Storage Media	Dual SD cards	Dual SD cards	1 compact flash + 1 SD card
Price	$1000 USD	$2100 USD	$3000 USD

All three of these cameras have weather sealing, pentaprism (not pentamirror), 100% viewfinder coverage which is a good thing. D600 doesn't have USB 3.0, but who cares (most people use a card reader). The biggest disappointment for many users when the D800 was announced was the 4 fps shooting rate in FX mode. That is quite slow by modern DSLR standards but somewhat understandable when you see how much data is being crunched in that time. The D600 and D7000 are a more reasonable 5.5 and 6 fps respectively. I doubt anyone will complain about those specifications, they are fast enough for any enthusiast. The d600 gets the U1/U2 modes just like the D7000, it boggles the mind why Nikon did not include this on the D800. The menu banks are a joke by comparison, I don't even use them. Similar story with storage, D7000 and D600 both have dual SD card slots but the D800 gets SD+compact flash. Why? I get that they want to tailor to pros who may be invested in CF cards but give me a break. If you can buy a $3000 body you can likely but a couple of extra cards. With the resolution of the D800 most people will need new (and much bigger) cards anyway. It should have been dual CF, now I need to buy and carry two types of media.

One thing that is clear is that Nikon intentionally crippled the D600 with the 1/200 sync speed and 1/4000 max shutter speed. These may not be problems for many shooters, but for anyone serious about strobes or fast primes lenses in bright light will run into problems. Pros will likely skip the D600, even as a backup, for these reasons. Good for Nikon, bad for us.

In the end, the D600 fits very well into Nikon's new FX camera lineup. Unlike the previous lineup which had the D700, D3S, and D3X the new lineup of the D600, D800, and D4 offers better pricing for most users and a better distinction between the cameras in the lineup. I'm looking forward to seeing image samples from the D600 once they start getting into users hands.

Also see: Nikon D600 vs Canon 6D: an entry level full frame comparison

by Mike

Stawamus Chief Panorama : Sept 13, 2012 : 2048 pixels

100 Megapixel Nikon D800 Panorama from the Stawamus Chief

Today, I hiked to the top of the south peak of the Stawamus Chief, a popular hike near Squamish, BC. I took a lot of photos including the panorama below. The full size panorama is 22,383x4378 pixels (ok, not 100 megapixels but 98, close enough). Shot with a Nikon D800 and 24-70 f/2.8 lens. The variation of color in the sky is due to the use of a polarizing filter. It helps with contrast but because so much of the sky is visible the angle to the sun changes substantially in the shot from left to right.

First, a small version of the file, 2048 x 401 (0.82 megapixels, 641Kb)

If you want to see a slightly bigger version, here is a link to a 5000 x 978 (4.89 megapixels, 3.6MB) version of the file. It will open in a new window.
Open the larger file.

Finally, if you really want to download the huge 100 megapixel file (over 80MB) you can do so below. It is a zip file, I didn't want the file to open in the browser. Just download and unzip.
100 megapixel D800 panorama.

The PSD file that created the compressed jpg above is over 1GB in size and that is after I cropped a significant portion of the image from the top and bottom. There will be a lot more photos from this hike posted soon.

by Mike

Lions Binkert Trail Hike Vancouver - 2012-08-18 : the lions

Hiking the Binkert Trail To The Lions

The Lions are two very familiar peaks that can be seen from Vancouver. I have hiked most of the mountains in the immediate Vancouver area but the Lions always looked down on me with a smug look. Every time I looked to the North Shore I could see the twin peaks and I knew I had to get up there one day. On August 18th, five of us decided to make the trek and I was the only Lions virgin in the group.

The trail starts in Lions Bay and is a 16km round trip journey. The elevation gain is 1280m (4200') with some very steep sections you will feel in your legs. This is a strenuous hike and of the hikes I have completed may be second only to Black Tusk in terms of effort. I would not bring your dog on this trail, there are sections that would not be easy for your four-legged friend and there are some very steep cliffs. The hike took us about 3.5 hours in each direction, with a one hour break at the top to enjoy the view, eat lunch, and take photos. For more detail on the trail feel free to check out these links (some include updates on conditions): Vancouver Trails, Club Tread, Trail Peak, Live Trails.

Some photos from the hike. First, the motley crew ventures out at the start of the day. The trail is fairly flat and everyone is feeling good.

Things begin to get steeper, everyone is still having a good time and chatting.

One of the only waterfalls along the route. Not much rain in the area lately and the snow pack is almost gone so it's really just a trickle at this point. Harvey Creek is much bigger with pools large enough for a dip. There is a well built bridge over this creek so you will certainly know when you are there.

The trail takes a sharp turn up and chatting turns into cursing.

Coming out of the trees, you are finally rewarded with stunning views of Howe Sound.

The Lions are still looming, a long way to go.

The group taking a breather after a few hours of hard climbing.

Back on the trail, hiking turns into scrambling.

And now with snow :)

Near the top of the rock scramble, views are still great and a good motivator.

After a few more tricky sections, you finally reach the ridge and see a full view of the Lions before you.

It was a bit hazy, but the view from the top was truly spectacular. Hard to beat and makes the 3.5 hour climb completely worth it.

You need to be careful with your footing on the ridge, there are very steep cliffs on both sides. One misstep and you won't be around to tell anyone about it.

Up close and personal with the West Lion.

The West Lion towering over Scott and Jason.

It is possible to climb to the top of the West Lion, but only for those with some experience with this type of activity should even attempt it. It is a high consequence climb with no room for error. If you decide to do it, you need to descend down a small cliff (a rope is provided). People here are waiting to climb down.

Once on the West Lion, find the best route up. You can see how steep it is in the photos below.

The hike is popular in the late summer, especially on a nice day. We didn't see many people on the trail, but there were a few at the top.

Of course, some things didn't have to climb to the top. Cheater :)

I can imagine life at the top is not easy for any plants or animals that choose to live here.

Vancouver feels very far away when you are up here.

On the way down, your knees will take a serious beating. The trail through the forest and the gravel road seem to stretch on forever. At the end of the day though, it's an amazing climb and worth the effort for anyone who wants to make the journey.

by Mike

Vancouver Sun Halo

Yesterday, on my way to the East Van Show and Shine, my friend Eli pointed out a circular rainbow around the sun. Not something you see every day, and since we both had our cameras we took some photos. Someone suggested that this phenomenon is called a sun dog or sundog (Wikipedia), but I think it is actually a sun halo. A sun dog is a 'mock sun', or a bright point of light similar to the sun. I this case, it's a complete circular halo around the sun and looks like a rainbow. There are some references to these things here and here.

Update (May 29): After posting on a forum, it turns out this phenomenon is called a sun halo. It is seen when thin cirrus clouds are present high in the atmosphere on a sunny day. Light refracts off ice crystals and creates the effect. More info here: 22° halo at Wikipedia, NASA.

by Mike

Vancouver Animal Control - Shelter Dogs - 2012-05-11 - Pit Bull

Shelter Dogs May 11 2012

Another trip to Vancouver Animal Control to photograph dogs. Photos from previous visits can be seen here. As always, you can see the animals available for adoption from this shelter by visiting their PetFinder page or just drop in at the shelter.

First up, this young pit bull who is a bit chunky but loves to play.

I had to visit the puppies again, they are great dogs and won't last long. Previous photos of these little guys are here.

A playful and very cute Pomeranian.

Call of the wild

And a German Shepherd who was more interested in napping in the grass than having her photo taken.

by Mike

Another visit to the Vancouver Aquarium

I have had a membership at the Vancouver Aquarium for the last few years and I like to visit often. It's a great place to just walk around and relax. I almost always see something new and different. I like to bring my camera, you never know what you will see.

Don't bug me, I'm crabby

Best buds, Gus and Ollie, hyacinth macaws

by Mike

Dragon Boat Spring Sprint - Vancouver, BC - 2012-05-12

Dragon Boat Spring Sprint in Vancouver

What a great day for some dragon boat racing. Since my wife is on a team, I went down to take some photos and enjoy the nice weather. Spring Sprint is a warm up to the big Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, which is in mid June. The boats are smaller, only 10 paddlers instead of the usual 20 and the distance is substantially shorter as well. Still fun to watch, especially when you can soak up the sun after the miserable April showers.

The races are held in False Creek with downtown Vancouver as the backdrop. Hard to find a nicer venue than this.

The staging area is right beside Science World.

Some shots of the action.

Organized chaos.

by Mike

First attempt at light painting

This didn't start out as a light painting shoot. My friend Andrew wanted to get some long exposure shots of planes taking off so we ventured down to the airport near sunset. Before the sun went down, we took a few shots at Iona Beach.

The beach wasn't particularly interesting, so as the sun was going down I decided to try out the variable ND filter I purchased. First time I have ever used an ND filters, but it was a day of firsts so why not. Here are a couple of shots, looks like it could be fun and the effect can't be duplicated any other way.

And here is Andrew setting up for a sunset shot.

The sun finally set so we found a spot where we could see the runway and decided to shoot planes on the way in and out of the airport. There were not a lot of flights and we couldn't get a decent photo. Out of the photos I took, this was the best one and it is average at best.

We quickly got bored, and decided to try some light painting. Started with waving the flashlights around.

Then we noticed the back hoe, so we decided to try some light painting on that. The idea was to trace the bucket and tracks with brighter light and fill in the rest. For a first attempt, somewhat successful.

And better after we stumbled on some better camera settings.

Found a bulldozer nearby as well.

And finally my truck before we wrapped up for the night.

Finally, I asked Andrew to paint on some horns, he must of thought I said "propeller". They sound so similar I can see where he got mixed up.

So I had to try it myself

by Mike

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary: Mallard in flight

A Visit to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Today I paid my first visit to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary located near Ladner, BC. It's a great spot to spend a few hours and I'll definitely go back more than once to see what species of birds visit this park. Cost is $5 to get in, well worth it. Here are some of my photos from the day.

My first shot was actually taken in the parking lot, this girl was walking around in the grass right behind my truck (Mallard Duck).

Not sure what this guy is, someone needs to help me identify it.

Napping while standing on one foot, showoff (Canada Goose).

I think this is a Northen Pintail, beautiful birds.

Just a common blackbird, but a break from the waterfowl photos.

The ducks are everywhere.

I like how this guy shows up in camo, even a camo lens coat, and there are kids running around in pink and purple yelling.

Managed only a couple of good action photos.

And the geese are all over the place too. You certainly don't need a big zoom lens to get some good shots of birds here.

This guy was constantly hissing at me. Come to think of it, must be a female :)

Spring is here, flowers are popping up.

The first time I have ever been this close to Sandhill Cranes

Not the most graceful creatures when they take off though.

The Sandhill fly-by, they almost look like jets.

Out of nowhere, a duck fight breaks out. It was a ball of white water and feathers accompanied by a lot of noise.

[tag-gallery tag=duckfight columns=4]

This little guy was collecting all of the bird seed the visitors left for the ducks.

And what landed in the water the carp would clean up.

On my way out, I had to stop to take a few shots of these Snow Geese. There were hundreds of them.

I had to stop one more time as I was heading into Ladner as I saw these tow Bald Eagles in the tree. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good angle on them. More eagle photos can be seen from my visit to Brackendale.

They didn't stick around for long.

I had my lens on manual focus as it was having a very hard time getting the eagles among the branches. Unfortunately, when they took off it didn't make for a good shot. Too bad, this would have been nice.

by Mike

Amsterdam Dec 2011 night long exposure hdr

A Day in Amsterdam

Back in December 2011, I had to travel to the UK on business. I took the opportunity to route my flight through Amsterdam instead of London and I had to pleasure of spending an afternoon in this great European city. I'm finally getting around to posting some of the photos I took during my short stay. I definitely need to go back and spend more time in this city, it was a lot of fun.

Most of the photos here were shot while on a photo tour with Photo Tours of Amsterdam. I booked this tour after reading positive reviews on Trip Advisor. Things didn't start well as my flight was delayed. Rather than arriving at 8:00am which would have given me plenty of time to get to my hotel then meet my guide at the 1:30pm start time, my flight arrived at 12:30pm. I rushed to the hotel, dropped off my things at the front desk and didn't even check in. I just grabbed my camera and tripod and jumped in a taxi to head to the meeting spot. There, I met Jonathan who turned out to be a fellow Canadian currently living in the Netherlands and discovered I was the only one on the tour that day. This allowed Jonathan and I to just explore the city and go where wherever we wanted to go. Jonathan was a good photographer, and also knew a lot about the city. I didn't get a lot of good photographs during the day, it was a gloomy and flat winter day. Things were better at night, and I'm happy I brought my tripod along for some shooting. Overall, Jonathan spent more time than he needed to with me and was a great guide. I learned a lot about the city and brushed up on my skills as well. I would definitely book another tour with this company if I'm in one of the cities where they offer tours.

Some of the photos from that day, it was raining on and off and mostly overcast skies. I love European cites, there is so much more history and culture compared to things in North America. It's hard not to appreciate the architecture on display everywhere. This is one of the markets many markets we found just walking around.

A three shot HDR, not my best work but I love the buildings here. Also, Amsterdam has a lot of pubs :)

I didn't process many in black and white, but I likely will as scenes like this lend themselves well to such processing. The canals in Amsterdam are fantastic, and are the reason why it's sometimes called Venice of the North.

I love graffiti, and there was plenty of it in Amsterdam.

No idea what this is, but it was an interesting courtyard.

The Hermitage. I wish I had time to visit.

Throughout the city you will find a lot of houseboats in the canals. Some are beautiful, or at least interesting. Others are complete trash heaps and detract from an otherwise beautiful city. In another life, I would like to live on the water in one of these boats.

Jonathan told me what these little critters were, but for the life of me I can't remember.

Youth Hostel, I got a few shots of this, I'm sure it looks great in the spring when the vines are covered in leaves.

Some guys saw me taking photos and started goofing around. The people I met in Amsterdam were friendly and helpful.

Dutch cat, seems content in his bed.

So many of the buildings have interesting details like this. They just don't build them like they used to.

Jonathan showed me a good spot to practice my panning technique. There is certainly no shortage of subjects zipping by and you don't need to wait long to see some interesting characters.

The Dutch carry everything on their bikes.

Amsterdam is know for diamonds, but I didn't bring any back for my wife on this trip.

The Theater.

I had no idea there were going to be this many bikes in the city. They are literally everywhere, of all shapes and sizes, and locked to any stationary object available. I saw entire families on one bike, or people hauling a substantial amount of goods using special bikes. There are multi-level bike parking garages which hold thousands of bikes. It really is great to see, I'm sure it cuts down on the number of cars on the road. Oh, and there is a hose in this photo too.

The only thing there may be more of than bikes is bongs. Imagine if every coffee shop in Vancouver were a bong store, then double it :) I also found out that you don't go to a coffee shop to get coffee, they sell weed. If you want coffee, go to a cafe.

This liquor store had the coolest bottles I have ever seen, sadly it wasn't open when I was there.

More bikes, bikes, bikes.

The train station.

Interesting bridge detail.

The Magere Brug, or "Skinny Bridge". Well lit at night, and one of the more famous bridges in Amsterdam.

None of the buildings have elevators, so they set up these contraptions on the outside to move things in and out. Also, you can see big hooks at the top of the buildings in some of the photos. These were used to attach pulleys to winch stuff up to the higher levels.

Electric car charging station.

The city looks great at night.

This is on the edge of the Red Light District. Down that alley, you can see red lights on the side of the building marking windows where guys can take their pick of women. It's actually a very trendy area, with a lot of tourists visiting pubs, restaurants, or doing some shopping . The alleys are right in the middle of everything, and everything seems to be clean and safe. As you can imagine, they don't take kindly to tourists taking photos in front of said windows. I didn't press my luck by trying it.

Some long exposure fun while Jonathan kept watch on the traffic.

One of my last, and one of my favorite, photos from the day. I set up on a tiny island in the middle of an intersection. I had a view of a tram coming right at me, and veering off to the right. This was my first attempt, and the best of the bunch, I actually thought the tram would hit my camera, but it turned out well.

by Mike

Shelter Dogs March 10 2012

Another set of dogs from Vancouver Animal Control, you can see others here. As always, you can see the animals available for adoption from this shelter by visiting their PetFinder page or just drop in at the shelter.

My favorite dog of the day, this hyper little puppy Spotz. He can't sit still for more than two seconds, so it's amazing I got any decent photos of him at all.